1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sound setting apparatus and a sound setting method, which are suited for application to a car audio system, for example.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, a car audio system is installed in the dashboard of a vehicle (not shown) to receive radio broadcasts or play a CD (Compact Disc), and allows a user to listen to the output sounds through speakers of the vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 1, in this type of car audio system 1, the following screen transitions are performed from a normal state in which a source screen G1 ((A) in FIG. 1), which shows that audio signals are being reproduced, is displayed on a display 3 in a front panel 2.
In this normal state ((A) in FIG. 1), when an input manipulation is made to a rotary commander RC, which can be moved up and down, side to side, rotated, and pressed down, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the source screen G1 to a sound menu screen G2 ((B) in FIG. 1).
On the sound menu screen G2 ((B) in FIG. 1), the car audio system 1 selects menu items related to audio settings such as menu items “equalizer parametric”, “lowpass filter”, “fader”, and “balance”, in response to rotating the rotary commander RC.
The car audio system 1 finally determines a menu item selected at this time, in response to pressing down the rotary commander RC.
For example, when the rotary commander RC is pressed down as the menu item “equalizer parametric” is selected for a menu item, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the sound menu screen G2 ((B) in FIG. 1) to an equalizer curve selection screen G3 ((C) in FIG. 1).
On the equalizer curve selection screen G3 ((C) in FIG. 1), the car audio system 1 selects an equalizer curve desired by a user, in response to rotating the rotary commander RC.
After that, when the rotary commander RC is pressed down as the equalizer curve desired by the user is selected, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the equalizer curve selection screen G3 ((C) in FIG. 1) to an equalizer mode screen G4 ((D) in FIG. 2) as shown in (D) in FIG. 2.
On the equalizer mode screen G4 ((D) in FIG. 2), the car audio system 1 selects a menu item “Tune” or “Initialize”, in response to rotating the rotary commander RC.
After that, when the rotary commander RC is pressed down as the menu item “Tune” is selected through the rotary commander RC, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the equalizer mode screen G4 ((D) in FIG. 2) to a band selection screen G5 ((E) in FIG. 2).
On the band selection screen G5 ((E) in FIG. 2), when the rotary commander RC is rotated, the car audio system 1 selects any one of frequency bands “LOW”, “MID”, and “HIGH” to be adjusted by an equalizer.
When the rotary commander RC is pressed down as any one of the frequency bands “LOW”, “MID”, and “HIGH” is selected through the rotary commander RC, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the band selection screen G5 to a center frequency selection screen G6 ((F) in FIG. 2).
On the center frequency selection screen G6 ((F) in FIG. 2), the car audio system 1 selects a center frequency in the band chosen on the band selection screen G5 ((E) in FIG. 2), in response to rotating the rotary commander RC.
After that, when the rotary commander RC is pressed down as the center frequency is selected through the rotary commander RC, the car audio system 1 switches the screen from the center frequency selection screen G6 ((F) in FIG. 2) to a level adjustment screen G7 ((G) in FIG. 2).
On the level adjustment screen G7 ((G) in FIG. 2), the car audio system 1 selects an output level in the band chosen on the band selection screen G5, in response to rotating the rotary commander RC.
After that, every time when a predetermined back button is pressed down, the car audio system 1 makes screen transitions as returning to the level adjustment screen G7, the center frequency selection screen G6, the band selection screen G5, the equalizer mode screen G4, the equalizer curve selection screen G3, the sound menu screen G2, and the source screen G1 in this order.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, the car audio system 1 has the source screen G1 ((A) in FIG. 1) to the level adjustment screen G7 ((G) in FIG. 2) formed of a plurality of layers, and in turn makes screen transitions, in response to pressing down the rotary commander RC, or the back button.
In addition, in cellular telephones whose disk jog dial can be rotated and pressed down, some of the cellular telephones display menus in a plurality of layers (for example, see JP-A-2005-78145 (Patent Document 1)).